Brian, you are one of those inspiring stories, and Pam is totally spot on!

Shelagh, Pam and Zada,

Thanks for all those nice things you've said. I only responded to the post because I know how important an agent can be to some authors, but that it's also possible to make an impression without one, at least to begin with.

The point is, I have a rejection file of massive proportions, and at first I used to take each one as a personal insult. Then , I realised that each editor, agent or publisher was looking a the submisssions purely subjectively, and that if I played the numbers game, eventually I'd find one who actually took the time to read, understand, and perhaps actually like what I'd written.

Then, when I actually had three publishers all wanting 'A Study in Red' at virtually the same time, I realised that maybe I might have something after all. Soon afterwards. Rain Publishing made me an offer for 'Glastonbury' and that's when I realised that the hard work was starting to pay off. I still have a long way to go to get where I want to be with my writing, but with the other paperbacks coming later this year, another still under consideration by Rain, and two more novels in progress, I might just be a little ways along the road in another year or two.

So, my only advice, if as you say my story is a little bit of inspiration, is simply not to give up, keep knocking on doors, make a nuisance of yourself, and believe in what you do. If your work is of the quality that publishers require, one of them, somewhere, sometime, will recognise the value of your work. I truly believe that too many people give up too soon in trying to find a traditional publisher and end up paying unnecessary sums of money to see their work in print. Patience is one of the greatest skills an author must learn. also, it's worth remebering that few self-published or vanity press books sell in large quantities, except to the author's family and friends, and receive little or no marketing of sales promotion from the publisher.

I am not knocking anyone who uses those methods as they are the chosen means of publication for many good authors who maybe don't require or seek a massive target audience or who perhaps don't need to make a full-time living from their books.

A good publisher will produce, put on sale and promote their author's work in an attempt to recoup their own investment in the book. that's the only way they will actually make any money from the author after all.

Hope this is of help to some of the very good authors in this group who may be wavering in their self-belief.

Please remember that your biggest selling point as an author is YOU!

Regards to everyone, and keep sending the subs.

Brian

I too received many rejections from agents before going POD. I decided that I would rather have a few read my hard work than no one at all. What is very frustrating is that agents reply that they can't sell my plots when a short time later some bestselling writer will release a very similar novel, so obviously agents don't know it all.

You must wait around for weeks or months to receive a form letter from agents and publishers and both expect you to only send your manuscript to them. Kind of like a doctor's office where their time is infinitely more important than yours. I waited a year and a half for DAW publishers to accept or reject my book and never heard anything.

They say to establish a client base or prove that people have interest in your subject or book. I have done that, but just because 150,000 people visit a web site doesn't mean they will pay for your book. Many want the information free.

You must have an agent to submit to "traditional" publishers and agents want a proven sales record to take you as a client. If I had a proven sales record I would not want or need the agent.

Just because your POD book doesn't have high sales does not mean it isn't good. What it means is that you don't have thousands of dollars for publicity and many book stores won't stock POD books.

D.A. Chadwick

I have my own take on why agents/publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts: it keeps them out of circulation until the books they signed up one-two years ago come out and sell within approximately six months. The chances are that all writers are writing stories that are not that much different to those being published. Keeping them in the slushpile (which is never read) keeps the competition at bay.

D. A. Chadwick,